Planning committee chair backs scheme following tied vote by councillors
By Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

A computer-generated image of the development (Credit Line Creative)

A 197-home development on a site close to an area of Green Belt land has been narrowly approved by councillors.

Plans by developer Ziser London for IBSA House, a former printworks in The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, were approved by Barnet Council’s strategic planning committee last week.

The scheme involves converting existing offices into 61 flats and building five new blocks of between three and six storeys to create a further 136 homes. The council received 97 objections to the plans from members of the public warning of overstretched infrastructure, the impact on the Green Belt and other concerns.

Gerry Temple, chair of Hillview Road Residents’ Association, told the meeting the area was “already bursting at the seams with ever-growing residential developments – but without any concomitant development of local facilities, including public transport, traffic management, medical facilities, retail outlets and utilities”.

He said retaining the site as a light industrial estate would provide “employment and growth opportunities without any need to upgrade these facilities”.

Gerry added: “Increased housing will impact on negatively on the adjacent green belt areas, with consequential loss of wildlife.”

But Mark Sheerman, the developer’s agent, said the site “lends itself very well to residential use, given its location in a residential area adjacent to Millbrook Park and close to open green space”.

He claimed the ‘affordable’ housing level – 20% – had been increased from a lower level that viability assessors had said would not generate any developer profit.

Mark added: “Regarding facilities for the development, your [the council’s] officers are happy with the scheme and that everything in terms of infrastructure supports the development, and this scheme is a relatively modest development.”

Labour committee member Nagus Narenthira criticised the affordable housing level and claimed the area was “overdeveloped”, making it “very dense, without much infrastructure”. A new primary school nearby was “oversubscribed”, she added.

Fellow Labour committee member Claire Farrier said the scheme looked “out of keeping” with the area and would affect views from the Green Belt.

Responding to their concerns, council planning officer Hardeep Ryatt said the affordable housing level had been independently viability tested by the council and the Greater London Authority and was deemed acceptable.

“The views and the impact of the development have been carefully considered by various officers and it is considered that it is acceptable,” he added.

Hardeep said the developer would pay for infrastructure improvements, adding that there was existing primary school provision in the area and no need for a new secondary school.

At the end of the debate, the four Labour committee members, along with Liberal Democrat councillor Jess Brayne and Tory councillor Golnar Bokaei, voted against the plans. The remaining six Conservative members voted in favour.

With the vote tied, committee chair Melvin Cohen used his casting vote to approve the scheme.

The application will now be referred to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who can approve the scheme, reject it, or call for it to be amended.

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